IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR JURY
SERVICE IN THE US DISTRICT COURT

WELCOME

Welcome to jury service for the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Jury service is an obligation of every citizen. The right to trial by a jury of our peers is guaranteed to each of us by the United States Constitution. We hope that you will find your term of service an interesting and satisfying experience. This pamphlet is intended to answer practical questions regarding your service. We look forward to welcoming you at the Court and appreciate your willingness to serve.

PARKING/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Unfortunately, the Court does not have any parking reserved for jurors. You will be responsible for your initial parking costs when appearing for jury service; however, you will be reimbursed $8.00 per day for your parking expense. There are several parking lots that surround the US Courthouse, the charge for parking in these lots vary from $5.00 to $15.00 a day. There are currently several construction projects going on in the downtown area so the parking options change frequently. You may want to come early and shop around for the best parking area and rate. Be sure to pay for an entire day’s worth of parking because you may be required to be at the Court all day. Do not park at any city parking meters. The parking limit at a meter is only 2 hours, which will not be enough time to cover your full day in the Courthouse.

Jurors are encouraged to use public transportation when possible. Jurors arriving from within the Wasatch Front may easily utilize the UTA TRAX light rail system, as well as the FrontRunner commuter rail line. The courthouse is located between the Courthouse Station and Galivian Center stops on the light rail system. Using public transportation will help you eliminate parking problems.

FACILITIES

The entrance to the United States Courthouse for the District of Utah is located on the corner of West Temple and 400 South. Once inside the building, proceed to the Jury Assembly room, located on the first floor, Room 1.301. The Jury Assembly room includes restrooms and a lounge.

BUILDING SECURITY

The United States Courthouse is a Level 4 security building. There may be an ID check for all persons entering the facility. Also, it is against the law to bring any type of weapon on the property. This includes guns, knives, and OC/pepper spray. Please leave these items at home.

JURORS FEES

An attendance fee of $50 per day is paid for each day you report for jury duty, unless you are a federal employee. You will also be reimbursed for your round trip mileage at the current government rate. Please make note of your round trip mileage, as you will need to report it when you check in.

If you live over 80 miles, one way, from the Courthouse you may want to arrive in Salt Lake City a day before you are scheduled to report. Your meal and hotel costs will be reimbursed at the current daily government rate, plus the $50 jury duty allowance. You must submit a receipt from your hotel in order to be reimbursed for your lodging costs; if you stay with a friend or relative, your daily reimbursement will be to cover your meals and incidentals only. Please refer to the traveler information link for current rates.

Juror compensation checks will be mailed to you within twenty days of your appearance date. The daily attendance fee of $50 is taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service, and should be reported on your tax return next year (in most instances a form 1099 will not be provided).

REPORTING FOR DUTY

You have been sent a Notice to Appear instructing you to report on a certain day, time and before a particular Judge. It is important that you report on time. Jury selection can take up to five hours. If you are not selected to serve for this trial, you will be permitted to leave after the selection process. If selected, you may be required to remain at the courthouse for the remainder of the day, and you will need to return each day until the trial is finished. Most trials last from three to five days.

CALL BEFORE YOU REPORT! Cases that are set for trial frequently settle or are re-scheduled on very short notice. This frequently happens after the Notice to Appear has been mailed. You must call the message line for your final instructions. The message will tell you if you absolutely need to report, or it may ask you to call back later. Please listen carefully to the entire message when you call. If you neglect to call and then appear for jury duty for a trial that has been rescheduled, the Court cannot reimburse you for mileage or other costs. Therefore, it is very important that you call before leaving your residence.

If you have received a Notice to Appear for jury duty you must call local 801-524-6940 anytime after 2:00 p.m. on the last business day before you are to report for last-minute instructions. The recorded message will be available after 2:00 p.m., including evening hours, and on weekends.

LENGTH OF SERVICE

Your term of service is an “on-call” term of two (2) months. This does not mean that you will be reporting every day for two months. However, you may be called at anytime during that period. If you report for jury duty and are not selected, you will probably receive another notice to appear at a later date during your two month term.

EXCUSES

Federal law allowing excuse from jury service is very strict. However the court realizes that occasionally jurors may need to request a temporary absence from jury service. These absences are generally requested for medical appointments, scheduled vacation time, business trips, etc. Because the Court will make every effort to accommodate temporary absences during your jury term, these absences DO NOT constitute a valid reason for being excused from the entire term. If you receive a Notice to Appear and have an extreme hardship or conflict, please contact the Jury Office as soon as possible. When requesting a temporary absence you may need to provide a written request and/or documentation supporting your need to be temporarily excused. Address all excuse requests, or other inquiries to:

Jury Administrator
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah
351 S West Temple, Room 1.301
Salt Lake City, UT 84101or by email at utah_jury@utd.uscourts.gov

If you have immediate questions or concerns regarding your Notice to Appear you should contact the Jury Administrator at 801-524-6285 as soon as possible.

FAILURE TO REPORT

Jurors who fail to report for jury service may be served with an Order to Show Cause by the United States Marshal’s Service. Penalties for contempt of the Jury Selection Act range from a $1000 fine and/or three days imprisonment.

ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES

The Court will provide you with a certificate showing the dates and times you served if you request one.

DRESS CODE

Please dress appropriately for court. Casual attire is acceptable. The temperature can be quite cool in the courtroom, so dress accordingly.

PROTECTION OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT

Federal law specifically prohibits employers from taking any adverse action against employees because they are called to jury service by the United States. Section 1875 of Title 28 of the United States Code begins as follows:

No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employees’s jury service, or the attendance of scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the United States.

Any employer who violated the provisions of this section -

shall be liable for damages for any loss of wages or benefits suffered by an employee by reason of such violation;

may be enjoined from further violations of this section and ordered to provide other appropriate relief, including reinstatement of any employee discharged by reason of his jury service; and

shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation as to each employee.

If you have reason to believe that your employment status has changed as a result of your being called to serve as a juror in federal court, please notify the jury administrator.